Kasabian had disappeared. Sigrún had watched him plunge into the ocean and assumed he would be back within a matter days at most but the days dragged on and the buckskin stallion did not reappear. Any other mare might have gone in search of another band to join but Sigrún was content to remain where she was until told to do otherwise. There was a plentiful food supply for her and her daughter and she hadn’t seen a single predator since before Kasabian’s disappearance. She saw no reason to move; either another stallion would come to claim the territory as their own (or perhaps just her) or Dögun would come whisk her back to the Inlet. The idea of going there herself had crossed her mind but she could not be certain he was still there, why waste the energy getting to a possibly abandoned territory.

Under the heat of the midday sun, Sigrún did as she most always did; grazed. Kraken stood at her side, emerald eyes closed as she dozed quietly. Grai, who had been Dögun’s second, had turned up not long ago. Sigrún had not sought him out yet but his presence meant either he had felt like branching out on his own or Dögun had been overthrown. At first, Sigrún assumed that the approaching hoof beats belonged to the chestnut stallion but soon realised her error when a familiar scent caught her attention.

The roan mare’s ears flicked back instinctively and she spun to face the painted brute. Her hip bumped that of her striped daughter, causing the girl to surge forward with a startled squeal. The filly whirled angrily, snaking out her neck to nip at her mother’s skin in annoyance but stopped short when she spotted the stranger. Her ears flicked back, matching her mother and she squared her stance. Sigrún had two choices, fight and risk her daughter getting caught in the crossfire or go without kicking up to much of a fuss; saving the filly harm.

Sigrún chose the path of least resistance and bit the air directly beside the stallion face in warning but ultimately nickered to calm the roan striped filly, moving in the direction of the ocean. She nipped at Kraken’s rump, keeping the filly as far from the stallion as possible and poised to send a kick out with her rear hoof should the male get too close.

----------

They pair reached the crossing with little incident and were soon crossing over the borders of the lagoon. At least there was still adequate grazing to be had, though nothing as lush as the ridge. Kraken spotted a foal wandering past the trees and darted off after it. The grulla snorted in response, watching her daughter's figure disappear before abruptly stopping. She had gone far enough. She turned to face the painted beast, ochre eyes narrowing, ”What do you want this time, fáviti?”